What's the diff between illegal alien & undocumented worker?

[napi21]

I live in Ga. but I am constantly reading articles in the paper about "wanting to grant illegal aliens the right to get a drivers license" and other rights that US citizens have. Sometimes it seems the terms illegal and undocumented are used interchangeably.

I guess I don't understand the term "illegal". I always thought it referenced something that was against the law.

The other think is don't understand is "undocumented". What does it take to get the proper documents?

[frankly_fedup2]

1. Because if they are working and paying taxes then it falls under

the constitutional amendment . . . Taxation with Representation. Therefore, if they are paying taxes, even if they are not a citizen, they are allowed to vote . . . among other things.

What I do not understand is how do you get a SS# when you are an illegal alien. How do you get a job without a SS# and pay taxes if you are an illegal alien.

It's all so confusing to me . . . gets on my friggin nerves.

[ret5hd]

4. only citizens get to vote.

[PsN2Wind]

6. Everything can be bought

and to many employers hiring illegals has the added bonus of them being able to put back in their pockets those amounts that have been withheld from pay for taxes and FICA. It don't get no better, these illegals will work for less and then a percentage of that is withheld, making their actual pay well below minimum.

[sandnsea]

9. Illegally

You buy them. They come to your place of business with their SS card and green card, you mark it down and pay them just like you do everybody else. Withholding, the whole nine. At least that's the way the potato shed I worked at did it. I'm sure others just pay them under the table. Now there's more documentation required and I don't do payroll anymore, so I don't know how things are.

If they've used one SS# long enough, then it's in the system and they can collect old age benefits.

If we really cared about illegals, we'd go after the people that hire them. That's where the problem is at. Maybe all we really need is a national INS database that employers can use to check green card #'s and names with. Wouldn't think it would be that complicated. Then you could legitimately fine businesses who hire illegals because they would have a way to check phony documents. That would really upset the business owners who make oodles off the backs of these people though.

[forgethell]

2. these two terms

refer to the same, exact thing: someone who is not a citizen who didn't bother to comply with our laws (illegal), hence does not have any paperwork (undocumented) to show he has a legal right to be here.

I think the term used depends on whether or not you think US immigration law should be enforced, or not.

[charlie105]

3. The term 'undocumented worker' is just a politically correct

way of saying 'illegal alien'. You have to respect the feelings of someone who broke the law. Go figure.

[ret5hd]

5. wrong...

an undocumented worker is an illegal alien, but an illegal alien is not necessarily an undocumented worker.

think about it.

[napi21]

8. OK, I understand. Then the decisions that need to be made are

Should we enforce our immegration laws?

Should we change our immegration laws?

Why are selectively choosing the laws we enforce?

[PsN2Wind]

10. I never thought of it that way

but I guess the mules hauling drugs thru the desert and the coyotes having shootouts on the freeway in Arizona probably could not really be considered undocumented workers.

[ret5hd]

11. i think your name suits ya...

[Eugene]

12. They are not necessarily the same.

An alien can enter the U.S. legally
but then work here illegally (undocumented).
I have seen it happen. Stay in the U.S. on
a student visa, legitimately or fraudulently.
Work for cash under the table or under someone else's SS#.

Of course, this was before the post-9/11 crackdown.

They can be one, the other, or both.

[Bridget Burke]

7. They're just "deportees"

Words matter.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

13. Undocumented Workers are employed by Republicans.

Illegal aliens aren't.